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  • Sommer Days旅行者Far North Queensland & Beyond

    Karumba to Leichhardt Falls

    2023年6月26日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    So glad to pack up and leave the feral, noisy neighbours today.
    We said our goodbyes to Gail who said she wished she was coming with us. She said she barely got any sleep due to the neighbours. She said that they have spread out and taken over some of her campsite, and she said she had already been to the office to see if there is anything they can do, and she has spoken to them a couple of times. Poor thing, she was so upset. She said she had booked her ‘premium’ site on the fence about 12 months ago, and said she was ready to pack up and go home. She had a noisy air conditioner on one side and noisy neighbours on the other side. She said she has to keep her door and windows open as she does not have air conditioning, so can’t shut out the noise. We wished her well.

    Also said farewell to Dean and Roslyn on the other side who were also packing up and leaving, heading to Cape York. They have a YouTube channel ‘On Our Aussie Adventure’ so we said we will subscribe to it.

    We made sure our water tanks were full and emptied the loo, got a couple of supplies at the supermarket, then we were on our way.

    Drove through Normanton on the Savannah Way, stopping at the Burke & Wills Camp 119, which was the last most northerly camp of the ill-fated Victorian expedition where Burke and two others died. What were they thinking? February 1861 and 100 degrees, trying to cross through the mangroves heading to the coast crossing the continent from south to north trying to beat the South Australian team, then running out of food and water. Only one of the 4 in the party survived helped by local aboriginals. At least Robert Burke had a town named after him for his efforts (Burketown).

    We drove on through lots of road repairs due to heavy rain and flooding earlier this year, arriving at Leichhardt Falls about 1.30pm, and set up camp close to where we camped 2 years ago, on the edge of the cliff. There is so much water coming over the top of the falls in 4 different sections. Two years ago, there was a much smaller amount of water coming over the main falls area. There is a lot of sand removal, repairs and roadworks on the approach road and causeway.
    After lunch we went for a walk closer to the falls and sat on a rock and paddled and cooled our feet in one of the rockpools above the falls. When we came back, we chatted to our neighbour Bob and his wife Jo. Bob is heading the same way we are, so we may cross paths again. He is a paramedic from Newcastle on LSL.

    Barra on a bed of rice for dinner, no fire tonight, but we sat outside looking at the stars and listening to the water gushing over the falls, until we started to feel some insect bites, then came inside. Turns out that the bites were sandflies, we both got 3 or 4 bites, but it was not until during the night that they started itching and causing us grief.

    We were in two minds whether to stay a second night as it was such a nice site, but when we woke up, we decided to move on, as there is lots more to see, and we are nearly halfway through our trip.

    The track into the Leichhardt Falls camping area is so sandy and deep and rutted that the car was bottoming out even though we have high ground clearance. The idea is to just gun it and keep going, because if you stop moving, then you will sink down and get bogged. Another worry is that you may meet an oncoming vehicle. Luckily, there was another way in/out from the causeway, so we planned to head out that way, across the uneven, rocky ground.

    Unfortunately, we got bogged in the sand about 10 mts from our camp. Theo put the car into 4WD, but part way through, it must have slipped into 2WD and it was not going anywhere. It was only the car tyres that were bogged, not the van. Luckily some fellow campers came over, and with the use of our maxtrax, shovel and old mate’s winch, we were quickly on the move.
    Note to self for next time and anyone visiting the falls, is to come in from the causeway. It is rocky, so you do have to pick your way, but you won’t get bogged in sand.    もっと詳しく

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  • Sommer Days旅行者Far North Queensland & Beyond

    Burketown to NT

    2023年6月27日, オーストラリア ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    It was an uneventful trip to Burketown, where we refuelled and topped up the water tanks. Good on you Burketown for providing potable drinking water and a dump point for caravanners and travellers.

    Burketown was flooded a couple of months ago and residents were evacuated, but you wouldn’t know it today. A very quiet, sleepy little town, with basic facilities. Theo has fond memories of hooking his first barra off the bridge 2 years ago, but it jumped off the hook before he could bring it in and before I could take a photo. I just have a photo of his sad face.

    Before leaving Burketown, we stopped at the artesian bore. No swimming or dipping your toes here, as the water comes out of the ground at a very hot 68 degrees.

    Drove through the very long (approx. 100mt) water covered causeway across the Gregory River and passed quite a few empty cattle road trains heading the opposite direction. Also had to slow down while cattle were being herded across the road and saw a small herd of wild horses run across the road in front of us and head off into the scrub. We have not seen a lot of wildlife, such as kangaroos, but have seen quite a few dead cattle on the side of the road probably hit by trucks.

    After the eventful start to the day, we decided not to push on any further, but found a camp on the side of the road, at Walford Creek, between Doomagee and Hells Gate. The camp is close to the sealed section of road so there was no dust, and traffic stopped about 7pm and we did not hear another vehicle for 12 hours, so it was very quiet. Tomorrow, as the saying goes, we will ‘see you in the NT.’
    Wednesday 28th, and we are heading west into the Northern Territory. The road between our camp at Walford Creek and the border was not too bad, but it deteriorated and became very corrugated and dusty after that. We did see a couple of possible campsites a bit further on from Walford Creek, the hard thing to know when looking for a camp, is what is ahead. Note for next time that there are other possible campsites just a bit further on from Walford Creek.

    We lowered the tyre pressure on both the car and caravan (8 tyres), and it made a small difference. Upon opening the caravan, very little dust thanks to the dust suppression fan which forces filtered air into the van, pressurising the van, but we found that the cupboard under the sink had come open spilling the contents over the floor, and we also found 7 screws rolling around on the floor, but happy to report they all found a home later. Caravan manufacturers need to use longer screws.

    This has been the first full day of corrugations and dust and have passed several road trains heading the other direction and driven through quite a few creek and river crossings. Not as much traffic on this section of the road, as it is a very rough dusty outback road.

    Hell’s Gate Roadhouse was an interesting little green, grassy oasis on our journey today. We topped up our diesel at $2.75 per lt (cost $89.43), it did not cost much because we filled up our tank and jerry cans at Burketown the day before.
    The name Hell’s Gate originated in the early days of Gulf settlement when travellers moved west through the small gap in the escarpment. Police escorted travellers to the ‘portals of hells gate’ then they were on their own until they reached the safety of police protection at Katherine in the NT.
    In those days the lands were unexplored and considered dangerous, and it would well have seemed the gateway to hell. While at Hell’s Gate, we watched a helicopter take off with tourists from an Outback Spirit coach tour. We have seen the price of those coach trips, and all the work is done for you, but they are very expensive. Fantastic way to see the outback if you can afford it.

    After over 5 hours travel today, we were so happy to find a campsite and get out of the car and relax in the shade of the caravan. Our (free) camp for the night is on the Savannah Way, on the western high bank of the Foelsche River, just past the turn off for Seven Emu Station. There is one other camper here, so we are not alone.
    After a late lunch of a barra wrap and a beer, we went for a walk down to the river to wash the dirt off our feet, then sat watching vehicles drive through the water crossing. Spoke to a motorcyclist who asked us about the depth of the water, then watched as he wobbled and drove through the water avoiding the rocks with water lapping at his feet. I would imagine, not the most comfortable means of transport on this road with the bulldust and corrugations.

    The days are about 30-32 degrees, but the nights in the outback cool down to about 17-18 degrees, making it great for sleeping. We have taken the doona off the bed and are just sleeping with a top sheet and pulling up a light blanket if it gets cool during the night. It is a dry heat out here, and we enjoy this much more than the humidity of the coast.    もっと詳しく

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  • Sommer Days旅行者Far North Queensland & Beyond

    Seven Emu Station to King Ash Bay

    2023年6月28日, オーストラリア

    After a great night’s sleep, we had breakfast then drove back through the Foelsche River and a further 25kms on the good, unsealed road to Seven Emu Station, arriving just before midday. We find that if we arrive at a paid campsite around lunchtime, then we get to enjoy the afternoon, instead of arriving late in the day and then leaving in the morning or having to pay for 2 nights to be able to see any sights.

    Seven Emu Station is 4th generation owned and operated by local aboriginal people. It is a working cattle station of 4300 square kms and they do offer indigenous tours, but at $100 per adult, this was out of our budget. I only saw one emu, still looking for the other 6!
    There are 5 huge private campsites, 4 of them on the cliff top and one on the rocky ‘beach’. Our campsite is No. 3 and has a great lookout high over the Robinson River. Cost is $20 per person per night, which is a little on the high side, but is an experience that we may never do again. After setting up camp and having lunch we drove down to the river to try a spot of fishing for an hour or so, ever alert for crocodiles.

    We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon, and when we returned to camp, where Theo was on unofficial ‘croc watch’ sitting on the edge of the cliff with his binoculars for rest of the afternoon. He said he did see a small croc but by the time he got his camera, it disappeared. We did hear splashes in the water and saw several fish jump.

    After dinner of spag bol, we sat outside enjoying the peace and tranquility of the vivid coloured sunset and the softening colours of dusk. Then when the sun has gone down, we never cease to be amazed at the magnificent clear, dark sky lit with millions of bright stars and the moon.
    The temperature was perfect and there was no flies or insects to bother us. Another beautiful outback night.

    We both had a great night’s sleep and woke when the sun came up. We gained half an hour in time when we crossed over the NT border but have not changed our watches or the van clock. After breakfast we packed up and it was not until we left Seven Emu Station that we realized the time difference when we checked our phones.

    Internet/WiFi /Telstra reception is our biggest hurdle. I really don’t mind not having it, but for purposes of contacting family, keeping up to date with news, emails, posting on Facebook or a blog entry, checking emails, weather and road conditions ahead, it would be convenient. We did consider getting Elon Musk’s ‘Starlink’ before we left home but by the time we seriously thought about it, we ran out of time for it to be delivered before we left. Other options we looked at were CelFi (which amplifies a weak signal), Zoleo (uses the satellite network to text message) or a satellite phone (at a price but can also be leased). We do carry an Eperb with us for use in an emergency (life or death) situation.
    The road conditions on the Savannah Way deteriorated after the NT border and got particularly bad at the western end before arriving in Borroloola, with lots of corrugations and bulldust.

    Borroloola is a small town, approx. 950 residents of which 76% are indigenous. There is high unemployment of 35% in the town, and we saw lot of rubbish and old cars dumped on the outskirts of town, unfortunately a typical outback aboriginal town. There is a servo/general store/takeaway, a school which a problem with intermittent student attendance and high turnover of staff, and small medical centre manned a couple of days a week, centrelink and not much else. However, there was a dump point of sorts and water to top up our tank. High cyclone fences surround most buildings. Not a very appealing little outback town. We would not choose to stay there.

    While in town, we checked our messages and my niece had asked if we could send a video message to my sister who was celebrating the successful end of her cancer treatment as her tumour had gone. Yippee. Good on you Liz. We found a nice backdrop of bougainvillea and recorded a quick message for Lizzy so she would get it on Saturday. Hope she likes our humour!

    We are heading to King Ash Bay for a night or two, which is approximately 50kms from Borroloola. The road was partly sealed, and the rest was a good, graded road. At the end of the road is the ‘King Ash Bay Fishing Club’ which has some powered sites and heaps of unpowered sites which are spread out along the McArthur River. As we don’t need a powered site we found a nice unpowered site on the high riverbank, with a family on one side and a couple from Lake Eildon on the other side. Cost was $30 for the night. There is a servo, a well-stocked small supermarket, a bar (the Groper Club) which hosts events, small golf course, a small airstrip, boat ramp, dump point, showers, toilets and drinking water. Quite well set up, and I believe that people come here and stay here for weeks and even months.

    A couple stopped to talk to us who also had a Goldstream pop-top caravan but they were camping in the powered section. This is only the second Goldstream we have met on our trip so far, the first one was on the road travelling in the opposite direction. After talking to us and looking at our van and our set up, Paul had ‘battery and solar envy’ and said to Jenny that they need to upgrade their system so they would not have to get powered sites on their trip. Small world, Jenny grew up in the same suburb as Theo, and Paul started his working life as a mechanic as did Theo. Jenny is on LSL also as a nurse at Peninsula Health and Paul has retired and they have rented out their home and they are on a 12-month trip around Australia. It was nice to chat to them. We also ran into Bob and Jo, our Leichhardt Falls neighbours, in the supermarket who are also staying in the powered section.

    We think that our 3.2 tinny is too small for this big river and the crocs that inhabit it, so have decided not to put the boat in. Theo is thinking that he will upgrade the size of the boat, and the motor when we get back.

    Another beautiful outback NT sunset over a river. We were told that there may be midgies or mozzies, but apart from one mozzie bite while watching the sunset, it has been lovely sitting outside, a nice gentle breeze that cools down at dusk. We came inside and had dinner of chicken and salad. From my seat in the van, I watched the end of the sunset and the sky change colour and appear to be on fire. Great view.
    Trying to decide whether to stay another night……    もっと詳しく

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  • Sommer Days旅行者Far North Queensland & Beyond

    Territory Day - King Ash Bay

    2023年7月1日, オーストラリア

    Happy Territory Day!

    Today is Territory Day. Territory Day recognizes the day the NT was granted self -governance from the Commonwealth Government in 1978, and tonight there is a celebration and theme night (Grease) at the Groper Bar, with fireworks. The locals, members and visitors are getting excited and planning their outfits for the night.

    It was a cool and cloudy start to the morning, only about 18 degrees. Brrrrrr.
    We walked up to the office to pay for the extra night, then got a couple of things at the little supermarket. When we got back to camp, we chatted to the neighbours, Lynlee and Pete from Lake Eildon, and a family camping in a tent on the other side with 3 kids from Mudgee, NSW. Some young people in roof top tents are on the other side of Lynlee and Pete, including one young couple on their honeymoon. We are lucky that we have nice neighbours around us.

    The sun eventually came out and we had a quiet day, enjoying the sun, pottering around, then had dinner of left-over chicken and salad, before walking up to the bar to join in the festivities. A lot of people had dressed up, but they were mostly members of the boat club or regulars who knew about the theme night and had prepared.

    We sat with Bob and Jo and listened to the live band play rock and roll music, and even had a little dance. More roll than rock unfortunately! We are very rusty as we have not danced for a long time, and with the added difficulty of dancing on gravel, wearing thongs, and a few drinks under our belt, it was good fun but not a pretty sight!

    The fireworks were great and lit up the sky for ages, probably scaring the wildlife and crocodiles. After a great couple of hours, we walked back home, but during the night, the wind picked up and we had a shower of rain. We think that it may be the edge of the rain band coming across from WA which has caused flooding on the Gibb River Road this past week.

    Sunday 2nd July

    Woke up to a cool morning (15 degrees). Staying another night here at King Ash Bay, but, where has the sun gone….? We are not used to this cold weather!

    It was a very cool day, and we brought out the long pants and long sleeves. The positive thing is that it was a good day to do some housekeeping, washing, clean out a pantry drawer that had a spill of a can of coconut milk somewhere on a rough, bumpy road. I had only opened the drawer to get a ‘Cup of Soup’ packet for lunch to warm me up and had not opened the drawer for a while. Some items had to be thrown out, and we cleaned up other jars and tins and repacked everything.

    We planned to drive up to Gove at the tip of East Arnhem Land, and we knew we had to get a permit to enter aboriginal land, but we were not sure if we had to apply for the permit first and then book a site or the other way around, so I rang the Gove Boat Club (one of only two places that you can stay), and was told that they only had 3 nights that we could book in for, in 2 weeks’ time, and to email them and they would get back and confirm the booking and include all the links and information we needed to get the permit.

    We were a bit disappointed as we hoped to book in for a week, but we have come so far, so 3 days is better than none. There is a possibility that someone may cancel, and we can stay longer. Apparently, they are booked up a year in advance. It will take us 2 days to get there, and then 2 days travelling back, but we have come so far. Waiting for the confirmation email so we can apply for the permit.

    Pete from next door has Starlink, and he has allowed us to piggyback and use it.

    Theo was so happy, I never heard a sound out of him for 2 hours while he was checking FB, emails and YouTube. It would make life on the road so much easier for communicating and researching, but I feel it also disconnects us somewhat from each other and from appreciating our surroundings.    もっと詳しく

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  • Sommer Days旅行者Far North Queensland & Beyond

    Southern Lost City, Limmen National Park

    2023年7月3日, オーストラリア

    Monday 3rd July

    It rained on and off all night, and we were so cool that we actually thought of putting on the diesel heater! In the Northern Territory! We had the doona and the extra blanket on the bed and we were very cozy and warm all night, but we woke to an overcast, grey morning of 14 degrees, and it drizzled on and off while we were packing up camp.

    Said our goodbyes to Lynlee and Pete. Lynlee was very keen to know how we liked Gove as they may do it next year. Exchanged phone numbers so we can let them know.

    Short drive on dirt, then the rest on bitumen to Borroloola where we topped up the fuel tank ($36) before continuing, heading west, then turning off before Cape Crawford to the Limmen National Park where we will spend some time.
    We have 11 days before we need to start on the road to East Arnhem Land.

    Checked our emails in Borroloola and our travel permit for East Arnhem Land had been approved. The online application said to allow 10 days, and I only applied for it yesterday. 24 hours. Very quick service.

    We travelled on the Nathan River Road for a few hours before passing the turnoff to Lorella Springs. We would have loved to have gone there, but it is closed for the 2023 season. Hopefully we will get there another time. The road was in fair condition, not as bad as the Savannah Way from Hells Gate to Borroloola, but it did have many corrugated sections, however the rain from last night had settled most of the dust.

    The National Park entry sign said that camping sites had to be booked online, but we have no internet reception, so will just chance it. Everyone we have spoken to said just rock up, and they have not booked, and no-one checks. Fingers crossed.

    Our first camp in the Limmen National Park is the Southern Lost City campground, where there are 5 campsites and a toilet block. We pulled into Site No. 3, hoping that no-one will arrive saying that they have booked this site.
    We did not unhitch, but did a quick set up then went for the 2 and half km walk around the impressive rock formations that are named the Lost City. Massive pillars and rocks perched on top of each other, some on an angle and fallen, which were created and shaped by weathering about 1500 million years ago.

    Saw a black headed python on the side of the walking track, which was not bothered by us. It was a lovely walk in the late afternoon.
    Would look impressive at sunrise, but not so sure we will be awake that early to see it. No-one arrived with a booking on our site, and we noticed that there was one other site also vacant.    もっと詳しく

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  • Sommer Days旅行者Far North Queensland & Beyond

    Butterfly Falls, Limmen National Park

    2023年7月4日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Tuesday 4th

    Had a great night’s sleep, and while we were having breakfast, a helicopter flew low and landed near our camp. We guessed that it was ferrying some tourists from Lorella Springs who were doing the walk around the Lost City. Great way to travel. Lorella Springs is closed to the public but only open to tour group operators.

    About an hour’s drive and a couple of creek/river crossings and many corrugations and bull dust later, we arrived at Butterfly Falls, another Limmen NP campground that requires a booking. No internet. How can you do a booking? Years ago, when we camped at National Parks, we used to just arrive and complete a form and pay cash into an honesty box. Much easier way to do it. We have spoken to many people about this, who agree.

    We camped in the ‘overflow’ camp site No. 3, and later spoke to a young couple who we met at King Ash Bay who were in ‘overflow’ camp site No. 1. They said that they booked online and were told that the campground was fully booked until mid-August. We counted 4 vacant campsites that night. How can you book online when you don’t have internet? We have heard this often, that sits are booked but people do not turn up, possibly due to change of plans/car trouble, etc, but because the site is booked, no-one can technically use it.

    Butterfly Falls Campground. This is a pretty, cool little oasis with fresh water that you can swim in, and a constant trickle of water over the waterfall. It is surrounded by water lilies and has a gentle sandy bank. We paddled but did not swim as it felt too cold. Heard the squeals of kids later having fun and enjoying the swim in one of the only waterholes which is safe to swim in as it is crocodile free in the area.

    Beautiful outback Northern Territory sunset over the surrounding hills.    もっと詳しく

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  • Sommer Days旅行者Far North Queensland & Beyond

    Limmen Bight Fishing Camp

    2023年7月5日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Limmen Bight Fishing Camp

    After a good night's sleep, we drove from Butterfly Falls in the Limmen National Park, to the Limmen Bight Fishing Camp, which is located on the banks of the large Limmen River. The road in was pretty average, sandy, corrugated and narrow, and we arrived at the office and spoke to Patsy, the aboriginal owner who directed us to the campsites on the banks of the river about 6kms down the river. $10 per night.

    The campsites are spread out and we were lucky to get one of the last sites, as people had just left the day before. We are right on the sandy boat ramp and have a nice view of the river. There are caravans and campsites set up and spread apart for a couple of kms.

    Not long after we arrived, our neighbour Lizzy came over and introduced herself and her husband Bill and gave us some frozen fish bait. They are from Albury and have been here for 4 weeks and have been coming here for the past 14 years. There are a lot of long-term campers that come up each season, and a lot of them know each other from being regulars.

    I mentioned to Bill that we are almost out of beer as we have not been near towns for quite a while. Bill said he has some beer we could buy as he has not been well and has not been drinking and did not want to carry it all the way back to Albury when they leave next week.

    They were on their way to the house/office to get some water and said we can come ‘shopping’ at their camp when they get back. Lizzy said that they pay $50 a week to camp there, and that includes all the water which they get from the house/office area. They brought back 200lts in various containers which Bill then transfers to his caravan water tanks, and they do this every week that they stay here. They said you can also buy fuel for the boats and frozen bread.

    When they came back, we went over to their camp. Bill’s tunnel boot (aka Dan Murphy’s) was an Aladdins cave, full of alcohol. We had never seen anything like it before. Boxes of wine, wine casks, slaps of beer etc. It was choc-a-block, better than our bar at home! Theo brought 2 slabs of beer for $100, cheaper than retail. Theo was happy and Bill was happy.

    Lizzy asked me if I needed any groceries, or wine, so we may shop with them again before we leave. Lizzy said that they usually come fully stocked for a stay of 4 months and are leaving early because of Bill’s health. They are heading back home to Albury for some medical appointments and some tests.

    I thawed out some frozen barra and we had it on a bed of rice for dinner, then the neighbours on the other side, Judy and Rod from Stawell came over to introduce themselves and say hi. Chatted to them for a while before it got dark and then we came inside. Luckily no mozzies or midgies tonight, hopefully due to the slight breeze.

    Theo has decided that he will put his tinny in tomorrow, after being reassured by Bill that the crocs don’t usually hang around here, as they are usually further up the river, but to always be alert. We won’t travel too far in our little tinny, but it would be good to fish further than the bank. Who knows, we might catch dinner! Update. Guess what, Theo did catch a bream for dinner. Yay!

    We are so settled in here that it looks like we will be staying for a few days. We have enough food, water, now beer, hopefully fresh fish for dinner, nice neighbours and for $10 a night, you could be in worse places (like cold Victoria) LOL.

    Update: Today is Friday 7th July and this is our 3rd day here. We feel so relaxed and have been made to feel welcome by all the campers. If anyone needs anything there is always someone who will help. We have run out of fuel and oil for the 2-stroke boat motor. Lizzy said that Trevor might have some fuel and Russell and Jude may have some oil. Theo transferred 20lts of petrol from Trevor’s jerry can and paid him $50, and we brought some oil from Jude but it was not until we got back to our camp that we realized the oil was not suitable for marine motors.

    We then drove the 6kms back to the office and asked Patsy if she had any oil, and she found a container of oil. She did not know the price, but we said we will fix her up tomorrow. Also brought some frozen bread for $5 a loaf and took some back to Lizzy who also wanted a loaf.

    The homestead/camp office had to be seen to be believed. We have stayed in a few aboriginal camps and they have all been the same. Old machinery, broken down things, bits and pieces, long grass and rubbish etc everywhere, and this was no different, but I guess that is how they live. In the shed was a brand-new Ranger buggy, but the shed was chock-a-block full of pieces of machinery, old parts and broken old stuff etc. The large room next to the office was so full of things that there was no free bench space at all. There was junk everywhere, and surprisingly, a couple of kids were watching TV in amongst it.

    Fortunately, it was a completely different world when you drove down to the fishing camping ground. Clean sites, no rubbish, and great views of the Limmen River, and we believe, great fishing. Yet to be confirmed.    もっと詳しく

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  • Sommer Days旅行者Far North Queensland & Beyond

    Limmen Bight - A pain in the bum!

    2023年7月7日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today is warm, but very windy. Trevor and Glenys were helping Bill pull his tinny out of the water in preparation for them packing up and leaving next week. While we were talking to them, Trevor said he will teach Theo how to throw the cast net. Seems he was doing it all wrong and almost wrapping himself in the net. Now he knows the right way. Thanks Trevor.

    As we now had fuel, we headed out, eager to catch some fish. Well, we caught a couple of catfish, got hooked on some mangroves, lost a line, got windblown, and then somehow Theo got a fishhook caught in his backside when he fell backwards onto the open tackle box. Ouch. Now that really is a pain in the bum!

    Back to camp where I cut off the hooks from the lure but could not get the hook out of his bum (upper bum/lower back). Walked over to Lizzy (retired nurse), who suggested that Sal at the next camp may be able to help, as she was also a nurse (Margi and Greg, Sal and Bill from SA). So, we trotted off to the ‘emergency room’ at the next camp.

    By this time, Theo had a couple of cans of anaesthetic (4X beer). Amid much laughter, Greg gave him a nip of scotch, Sal applied some ‘Anusol’ to deaden the area, and then truckdriver Greg put on his surgeon’s headlamp, and while Bill was chatting to Theo about our trip and distracting him, Greg pulled the hook out (backwards). Ouch ouch, ouch! Great way to meet the neighbours.
    If the situation had been more serious, it may have meant a 10 hour round trip to the closest medical facility at Borroloola.

    Saturday was a windy day, but we put the tinny in anyway and headed up the river, dropping the anchor and the line at various intervals. Only caught one catfish (Rod said it was called a Golden Cobbler up here). Theo leant over the side to retrieve his lure which was caught in some mangroves, and his phone dropped out of his pocket in shallow water.

    Luckily, he acted quickly and retrieved it, and it seems none the worse for its quick dip in the Limmen River. Not a good thing to do, as we had seen 3 crocodiles while cruising the river in the past couple of days.

    Sunday, we woke to another windy day, so decided to pack up and leave. It is no use waiting for the wind to stop as it may go for days/weeks. We said our goodbyes to our neighbours, and wished Bill all the best. They were leaving early Monday morning and had a long drive ahead back to Albury and medical appointments. Such a lovely couple, and never heard Bill complain once, although they knew he was quite unwell.

    All the neighbours came over for a working bee, and helped them pack up their camp. Russell even offered to drive behind them as far as Mount Isa, but they said they would be okay.

    While we were saying goodbye, John and Jenny arrived who we had not met before. They also had a Goldstream pop top and were camped further down the river. We were quite eager to get on the road, so did not talk for too long.

    We loved our stay at Limmen Bight Fishing Camp. We came for one night and ended up staying 4 nights, and it was made all the more special because we were made to feel so welcome by Lizzy and Bill, Rod and Judy, Greg and Margi, Bill and Sally, Jude and Russell and Trevor and Glenys. We may come back some day.

    Unfortunately, the road through the National Park is in quite poor condition with lot of corrugations and dust, and this may affect our decision to return. We are so over the corrugations (literally).

    We drove for a couple of hours and stopped for the night at Yurrlmundji Campground on the Roper River in the Limmen National Park. It is near the river, but the river is not within sight as it is beyond the treeline. There are toilets, but no water. Once again, you are supposed to book online. We didn’t have a booking, and there was no one else there. We had the place to ourselves.

    We have not had internet for a week. Only have one tank of water left, so will use it sparingly until we can fill up again. Getting a bit low on some food items. Heading towards Roper Bar tomorrow.    もっと詳しく

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  • Sommer Days旅行者Far North Queensland & Beyond

    Roper Bar to Katherine

    2023年7月10日, オーストラリア ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Had a great night’s sleep, and when we awoke at 9am, we packed up and Theo noticed that the cross arms of the lifting mechanism of the roof at the front of the caravan have broken its mount and come loose. He has attempted to reattach them a couple of times, but this time one arm has sheared the bolt which meant that the roof was not closing as it should and had moved slightly sideways. This has been exacerbated by the corrugations and we believe the lack of engineering, which is a bit poor, as this is an off-road caravan.

    We drove for about an hour over the last of the dust and corrugations, leaving the National Park, and then headed to Roper Bar. Roper Bar has fuel, which was the main reason for our detour. It has a camping ground and an airport and not much else and is surrounded by aboriginal communities.

    The petrol bowser had a padlock on it and was $2.80 per lt. The Tall Guy (Aussie) running the store was very nice, but there was virtually nothing on the shelves in the store. He said he has been there 5 years and it was run down, and he is trying to build it up. Hmmm. Looked pretty run down to us still. We brought a frozen loaf of bread, then headed to the camping ground where Tall Guy told us we could get some water.

    The water is from the Roper River but is fine for washing and showering. When we told him we were heading to Gove, Tall Guy said that he has a good mate who lives at Gove, Vincent Nathan, and if we need anything to ask him.

    Roper River is the second largest river in Australia and there is a natural rock causeway that breaches the Roper allowing access to eastern Arnhem Land. The Roper River had a great deal of water traffic in the 1870’s as cattle stations sprang up across the Gulf Country. A police station was constructed in 1937, and the site now lies in ruins. We stopped and wandered through the ruins trying to imagine the harsh life back then.

    Explorer Ludwig Leichhardt crossed the Roper River here in 1845, and the crossing was originally called ‘Leichhardts’ and later became known as Roper Bar. In 1871 a supply depot was established to provide supplies and materials during construction of the Overland Telegraph Line (OTL) between Adelaide and Darwin. There is a history of frontier policing, river flooding, and attacks on aboriginals when relations soured with both whites and unknown number of aboriginals being speared. Hard to imagine the harsh history today, looking at the beautiful river fringed with pandanus and fast flowing water flowing over the concrete causeway.

    As tempting as it was, we paddled a short distance on the concrete causeway to cool off, keeping an eye out for crocs. The road on the other side of the causeway led to some restricted aboriginal communities.

    There was a nice campsite high up but right on the river, and although it looked tempting, it was still early, and we need to keep moving towards Katherine.
    We continued along the Savannah Way on the dirt and corrugations, which then became bitumen as we got closer to ‘civilization’ of Mataranka and Katherine. About 3pm, we found a nice camp for the night off the highway at the Mount Price rest stop.

    It is well off the road and has a picnic shelter, bins and a water tank. As we were fully charged and had filled our water tanks at Roper Bar, I did a couple of loads of washing and gave the floor and shower a good wash while Theo did some caravan repairs.

    Theo pumped up 6 of the 8 tyres (he had lowered the tyre pressure to 25 on the car and 30 on the van a week ago before we hit the dirt and corrugations), and then the ‘Kings’ portable air compressor overheated and shat itself. Luckily the caravan has a built-in compressor used for suspension, levelling and roof lifting, and he completed reinflating the final two tyres using the van’s compressor.

    Looks like we will have to replace the compressor when we arrive in Katherine, as well as re-stocking the pantry and fridge. Our stocks are getting low, as the last major town we shopped in was Mareeba over a month ago.    もっと詳しく

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  • Sommer Days旅行者Far North Queensland & Beyond

    Katherine

    2023年7月12日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    The Mount Price camping area was a great little campsite. We were the only ones there. Must remember this for next time.

    We must have got bitten by midgies/sandflies on our last night at Limmen Bight Fishing Camp, and didn't notice them at the time, but hours later they started to itch. Theo counted 30 plus bites, and I had about a dozen. I am allergic to them, and the bite area swells to the size of a 50-cent piece. We both took Telfast which eased the irritation somewhat. Usually within a couple of days the itch has gone and only the red bite mark is left, which takes 7-10 days to completely disappear. We must remember to spray Bushman's so we don't get bitten.

    We had a short drive today, stopping 3 times at roadworks, before arriving in Katherine. Katherine is 317kms south of Darwin and covers an area the size of Victoria. It is the 4th largest town in the Northern Territory.

    We are camped at the Manbulloo Homestead, (where we camped in 2012), about 10 minutes drive from the main street of Katherine, on an unpowered site on the fencline under some large shady trees. Luckily our solar is fully charged because we are getting no sun on the roof. We will be okay for a couple of days.

    We needed to re-stock on food and buy a new portable compressor, in preparation for more off-road travel in the next few weeks. Woollies was so busy with queues at all the checkouts. It was a madhouse, as was the carpark. It was a bit of a culture shock from the past few weeks where we have been in relative isolation. After shopping, we were glad to get back to quiet of the caravan.

    Now we are back on the sealed bitumen and the main highway, the roads have lots of caravans and travellers on it, and people are travelling north to Darwin, south to Adelaide, west to Kununarra and east to Arnhem Land or Qld. Katherine is like the hub of the wheel.

    It has a population of about 11,000 people and was a major supply and maintenance hub during World War 2. Interesting fact: In 1942, nine Japanese aircraft flew over Kathrine and dropped about 90 bombs. The majority fell on the Katherine airfield and one resident was killed. Following the attack most residents were evacuated south.

    RAAF Base Tindal is a Royal Australian Air Force Military air base and civil aviation airfield located about 15kms outside Katherine. Every year it hosts major exercises featuring visiting aircraft and personnel from around the country and the world, including ‘Pitch Black’. When we were in Darwin in 2012, Theo was so excited to go to the open day at Darwin Airfield and look at all the military planes and equipment. While we have been here at Manbulloo Homestead, he has got a buzz every time he hears an airforce plane flying overhead.

    Katherine also has Hot Springs, which consist of a number of crystal-clear pools winding through the trees and then out to the Katherine River. We spent a couple of hours relaxing and enjoying the 32-degree temperature of the water.
    In the back of our mind was the news we heard a few days ago of a crocodile sighting at Bitter Springs, where the area was closed temporarily. Also in the news in the past few days was the crocodile attack at Wangi Falls in Litchfield National Park, which we visited in 2012.

    The camping ground had live entertainment tonight, a musician, who plays the trumpet and sings, and we could hear the music from our site, then decided to walk over and sat for a while listening. After that, we spent some time chatting to Jenny and Paul (Goldstream) who we met at King Ash Bay. We exchanged details, and Theo now has a couple of new friends on Facebook! They are heading to Darwin and then to WA, so our paths may not cross again on this trip, but we will keep in touch, and it will be interesting to follow their journey.

    Tomorrow, we pack up and start our journey on the East Arnhem Highway heading towards Gove.    もっと詳しく

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